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PHOTO FEATURE: The Jewel of the Thatta

Text by Q.A.M. and photographs by Arsalan

I remember visiting Thatta’s Shahjehan mosque as a child and it fired up my imagination. However, as adulthood dawned I appreciated its historical and architectural significance even more.

The 361-year-old mosque is an outstanding example of Mughal architecture in Pakistan. Shahjehan ordered its construction upon ascending the throne as emperor to commemorate his visit to Thatta while he was still a prince, according to the incredibly informative book Development of Mosque Architecture in Pakistan, published by Lok Virsa in 1991 and written by Dr Ahmad Nabi Khan.

Perhaps its most stunning aspect is the exquisite tile work, which reminds one of the graceful mosques of northern Afghanistan and Iran. So splendid is the tile-work that R.E.M Wheeler, in his Five Thousand Years of Pakistan, has written that “though somewhat poor in quality than the Dabgir (Dabgaran) mosque, the building presents the most complete surviving display of Persian tile work executed on the soil of Pakistan.”

Wheeler was certainly not off the mark for if one stares at the interior of the dome, it actually feels like one is under a canopy of stars. This and other intricate motifs offer moments of cosmic clarity in this house of God.

The mosque was started in 1644 and completed in 1647, financed by the royal treasury. There is a little confusion about its total cost, as according to the board placed inside the mosque, the cost came to around Rs900,000 at that time, while Dr Khan claims it cost Rs600,000. Perhaps the current mosque authorities have adjusted the final cost for inflation.

Another interesting fact about the mosque is that it has been constructed in such a way that the Imam’s voice can carry throughout the building, courtesy the hundred or so domes, without the use of a microphone or any other electronic devices.

The Shahjehan mosque has undergone quite a few renovations over the ages, the first during Mughal Emperor Aurganzeb’s rule, another by Murad Ali Khan Talpur in 1812, as well as by the British and the successive Pakistani governments. Interestingly, the gardens that exist at the entrance of the mosque, complete with walkways and fountains, are quite a modern addition, laid out in the ’70s.

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